Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC) and its partner Guzman Energy are continuing to move the co-op toward its goal of being 100% daytime solar reliant by 2022. The co-op has issued a Request for Proposals to add 7 MW of solar capacity by the end of 2020.
The project aims to build on the solar arrays that KCEC has installed over the past 12 years and will bring the co-op to a total of 25 of the 35 megawatts required to meet the 100% daytime solar goal.
In addition, the RFP asks developers to propose projects that include both solar and storage. If accepted, this will be the first implementation of storage in the Kit Carson territory.
“There has been high demand across the community to implement storage as part of our energy mix, and it will help get us even closer to meeting our 2022 goal,” said Luis Reyes Jr., CEO and general manager of KCEC. “We’re very proud of the progress we’ve made to date and are eager to start this next development phase.”
Guzman and KCEC joined forces in July 2016 with a goal of expanding the co-op’s renewable energy capacity while lowering costs for members. The multi-year agreement is expected to result in a cost savings of $70 million, and allows KCEC the flexibility to select the energy sources that provide the best cost and environmental benefits to the communities it serves. As a result, KCEC set a goal to make the territory one of the “greenest” cooperatives in the country.
Since the partnership began, KCEC and Guzman have successfully completed the first phase of solar installations. Guzman has helped facilitate the RFPs and has contracted with a seasoned renewable energy expert with years of experience with wind, solar and storage projects for this second phase.
“This project is a strong example of how distribution co-ops can benefit their communities by committing to aggressive renewable energy goals,” said Chris Riley, president of Guzman Energy. “Kit Carson has been a leader in moving to a new utility business model, which not only brings cleaner, more affordable power to its members, but creates jobs in the local economy as well.”
Proposals are being accepted through May 17, 2019. More information can be found on the KCEC website.
News item from Guzman Energy
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